Norcold Ain't So Cold

DeeDee
DeeDee Member Posts: 115
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Just got back from a 5 day trip to Moab in our 2016 Q. 1st night with shore power and 4 dry camping. Norcold worked fine on shore power, and when we switched to propane on day 2, it started to heat up. Fluctuated between 42 and 52, I kept adjusting the knob, but didn't seem to change anything. I did run aux fan as the temp increased hoping that would make a difference. We did have some fairly hot afternoons and the refrig temp increased during that period, but didn't really cool down much overnight. Is this normal? Is this the best performance I can expect in desert heat? 
DeeDee & The Captain
2016 Orange MaxQ
Henry's Fork River, Eastern Idaho




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Comments

  • Ratkity
    Ratkity Member Posts: 3,770
    I was told running the frig on propane was more efficient and it would cool faster on it. That said, I can't give you any troubleshooting advice. The Norcold is a complicated beast and best left to the professionals to figure out the issues (other than fuses).
    2017 820R Retro Toy Hauler from 2015 Tabitha T@B from 2009 Reverse LG Teardrop (but a T@Bluver at heart)
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  • Tabaz
    Tabaz Member Posts: 2,421
    That is not normal based on my dry camping experiences in the Southwest.  You may just have a bad thermostat.
    2016 Outback 320
    2024 Ford F150 Supercrew short bed.
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  • source3
    source3 Member Posts: 144
    I have only camped with fridge running on propane.  I keep the aux. fan going 24/7 and set thermostat to 2.5 to 3 setting (the six o'clock position).
    Andrew P. 
    Durango, CO
    2015 S Outback

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  • Tabaz
    Tabaz Member Posts: 2,421
    Agree with Source3 - I keep my thermostat set at the 6 o'clock position.  Will notice the fridge cycle more during the hottest part of the day, but the temp in the fridge stays cold.  I have three fans connected to the thermostat (search Noisy Norcold for pics).
    2016 Outback 320
    2024 Ford F150 Supercrew short bed.
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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    If your door was propped open, it can block the vent enough to make the fridge struggle. Especially of the wind is wrong.
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • Photomom
    Photomom Member Posts: 2,217
    Another thing to check is whether the vent on the floor under the fridge is blocked. And, was your T@B battery charged? The fridge needs 12v to operate on propane.

    Although if the fridge cooled on 120v and the conditions were exactly the same on propane (door position, floor vent, cooling fan, etc) then you should probably have the fridge serviced under warranty.
    John and Henrietta, Late 2016 T@B S Max in Western New York
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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    Make sure the door seal is in place - Mine kept coming off on the bottom and allowing the cold to escape. Was misaligned just enough to cause a problem but not bad enough to keep the door from appearing closed. Finally rubber cemented it in place.
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  • DeeDee
    DeeDee Member Posts: 115
    Sounds like we need to get it checked. Thanks guys.

    DeeDee & The Captain
    2016 Orange MaxQ
    Henry's Fork River, Eastern Idaho




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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    You know you need to have the Tab somewhat level?

    I've found it to be important, a couple of times, where others have not. It might depend on the fridge (maybe it depends on how 'charged' it is, with refrigerant). 
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • DeeDee
    DeeDee Member Posts: 115
    Every everything obvious was as it should be. Which leads me to believe the issue isn't.
    DeeDee & The Captain
    2016 Orange MaxQ
    Henry's Fork River, Eastern Idaho




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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    So, your ARE  level? AND, the door seals are properly in place?
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  • Ratkity
    Ratkity Member Posts: 3,770
    DeeDee said:
    Every everything obvious was as it should be. Which leads me to believe the issue isn't.
    Going into the dealership with a list of all these obvious things you've done will help them isolate the problem faster (maybe). Either way, you can at least say "I told you so" when the repair person says it wasn't x, y, z that were the issues and you already listed them.
    2017 820R Retro Toy Hauler from 2015 Tabitha T@B from 2009 Reverse LG Teardrop (but a T@Bluver at heart)
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  • DeeDee
    DeeDee Member Posts: 115
    Battery was fully charged, propane tank was full, we were level, Norcold was packed properly, seals are fine, vent was not covered, aux fan was working. Taking her in to replace some trim on Wed, I'll get them to check the Norcold for the recall item and the cooling issue too. Thanks guys.
    DeeDee & The Captain
    2016 Orange MaxQ
    Henry's Fork River, Eastern Idaho




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  • Ratkity
    Ratkity Member Posts: 3,770
    Good you are taking her in, DeeDee! With your list, you can barrage them with your Norcold knowledge and hope they get down to bidness!! Best of luck with your repairs.
    2017 820R Retro Toy Hauler from 2015 Tabitha T@B from 2009 Reverse LG Teardrop (but a T@Bluver at heart)
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  • ericnliz
    ericnliz Member Posts: 4,437
    DeeDee, could you please let us know what they find the problem to be, Thanks.
    2016 T@B MAX S-aka: WolfT@B
    TV: 2006 Chevy Avalanche LT Z71 aka: WhiteWolf, or 1972 Chevy Custom10 P/U aka: SnarlingWolf
    Spokane, Wa.
    Eric aka: Lone Wolf  


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